IELTS Vocabulary for Family and Relationships
Family and relationships appear throughout the Speaking test, from simple Part 1 questions about who you live with, to Part 2 cue cards describing a family member or a long-standing friend, to Part 3 discussions about how family structures or friendships change over generations. It is also a common Writing Task 2 theme, particularly in essays about generational differences or the role of family in society.
For Lexical Resource, examiners notice whether a candidate can describe closeness and conflict with more than “close” and “good friend.” Natural collocations like “close-knit family” or phrasal verbs like “grow apart” and “patch things up” signal a wider range than repeating the same adjective for every relationship mentioned.
Common mistakes include overusing “very close” for every relationship regardless of context, describing disagreements only as “we fought,” which sounds abrupt and vague, and forcing an idiom like “a heart of gold” into a sentence where it doesn’t naturally belong just to sound advanced.
Where this topic comes up
- Part 1Warm-up questions about your own life — “Who are you closest to in your family?”, and four more below.
- Part 2A two-minute turn on a card such as Describe a family member you spend a lot of time with, Describe a friend you have known for a long time, Describe a person who has inspired you.
- Part 3The abstract follow-ups, where precision counts most — “Do you think family structures have changed much in recent generations?”.
- Writing Task 2Essay questions on family and relationships reward exactly the same phrases — a collocation you can say is one you can write.
Instead of… say…
Same idea, sharper words. The left column is what most candidates reach for first; the right is what an examiner hears as precise.
| Instead of | Say |
|---|---|
| we are very close | we have a close-knit bonda natural collocation instead of "very close" |
| she is a very kind person | she has a heart of goldidiomatic, warmer and more specific |
| we don't agree sometimes | we occasionally butt headsnatural phrasal idiom examiners credit as less common |
| he helped me a lot growing up | he was a real role model growing upmore precise noun than a vague quantity phrase |
| we talk about everything | we can talk openly about anythingadds precision and natural adverb placement |
| my parents let me make my own choices | my parents gave me a lot of independencea cleaner collocation than a wordy clause |
| we became friends quickly | we hit it off straight awayidiomatic phrase for sudden rapport |
| she always supports me | she's always there for menatural, warm, spoken-register phrase |
Phrases by band
Each phrase comes with what it means and one sentence you could actually say. Learn the sentence, not the word on its own.
Band 6 essentials
Clear, correct, common. These carry a whole answer without sounding rehearsed.
-
close relationship
collocationa relationship with strong emotional connection
I have a close relationship with my younger sister.
-
get along with
phrasal verbto have a friendly relationship with someone
I get along with most of my cousins really well.
-
look up to
phrasal verbto admire and respect someone
I still look up to my older brother more than anyone else.
-
spend quality time
collocationto spend valuable, focused time with someone
We try to spend quality time together every weekend.
-
raise a family
collocationto bring up children
My parents chose to raise a family in a quiet neighbourhood.
-
keep in touch
collocationto maintain contact with someone
We still keep in touch even though she moved abroad.
-
trust each other
collocationto believe in each other's honesty and reliability
My best friend and I trust each other completely.
-
family values
collocationthe moral principles a family holds and passes on
I grew up with pretty traditional family values.
-
fall out with
phrasal verbto argue and stop being friendly with someone
We sometimes fall out with each other over the smallest things.
-
reliable friend
collocationa friend who can always be depended on
She's the most reliable friend I've ever had.
Band 7 collocations
Words that belong together. This is where lexical resource starts to separate a 6 from a 7.
-
close-knit
collocationclosely and tightly connected, usually about family
My extended family is very close-knit; we see each other constantly.
-
grow apart
phrasal verbto gradually become less close to someone
Close friends sometimes grow apart once they move to different cities.
-
see eye to eye
idiomto agree with someone on something
My dad and I don't always see eye to eye about my career.
-
patch things up
phrasal verbto resolve a disagreement and restore a relationship
We had an argument last year but managed to patch things up quickly.
-
role model
collocationsomeone whose behaviour is worth imitating
My grandmother has always been a role model for me.
-
bring up
phrasal verbto raise and care for a child
My parents always tried to bring up their children with strong values.
-
sibling rivalry
collocationcompetition or jealousy between brothers and sisters
There was a bit of sibling rivalry between us when we were younger.
-
hit it off
idiomto immediately like and get along with someone
We hit it off the moment we started chatting at university.
-
extended family
collocationrelatives beyond the immediate household
Our extended family gets together every summer for a big reunion.
-
butt heads
idiomto disagree or argue repeatedly with someone
We occasionally butt heads over small things, but nothing serious.
-
bond over
phrasal verbto develop a closer relationship through a shared interest
It's nice when new friends bond over a shared interest so quickly.
-
confide in
phrasal verbto tell someone private thoughts or worries
She's the person I confide in whenever something's bothering me.
Band 8 precision
Precise, and often idiomatic. Use one where it genuinely fits, never as decoration.
-
a heart of gold
idioma very kind and generous nature
My grandmother has a heart of gold and would help anyone.
-
unconditional support
collocationsupport given without any limits or conditions
My parents have always given me unconditional support, whatever I chose to do.
-
a formative influence
collocationa person or experience that strongly shapes someone's character
My aunt was a formative influence on how I see the world.
-
drift apart
phrasal verbto gradually lose closeness in a relationship over time
We were inseparable once, but we do seem to drift apart with distance.
-
an unbreakable bond
collocationan extremely strong and lasting connection
My sister and I share an unbreakable bond despite living on different continents.
-
nurture a relationship
collocationto actively care for and develop a relationship
You have to nurture a relationship constantly, not just when it's convenient.
-
stand by
phrasal verbto support someone loyally, especially during difficulty
No matter what happens, my sister will always stand by me.
-
a shoulder to cry on
idiomsomeone who offers emotional comfort during difficulty
Whenever things go wrong, my best friend is always a shoulder to cry on.
Test yourself
8 sentences from the examples above, with the phrase taken out. Pick the phrase that belongs in the gap — press 1–4 or tap.
Question 1 of 8
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Practise it out loud
A phrase you have only read is not yet yours. Answer these aloud and count how many of the phrases above you actually reach for.
Part 1 questions
- Who are you closest to in your family?
- Do you think it's important to spend time with family every day?
- How has your relationship with your parents changed over time?
- What kind of qualities do you look for in a friend?
- Do you prefer spending time with a large group of friends or one close friend?
Part 3 questions
- Do you think family structures have changed much in recent generations?
- How does technology affect the way families communicate?
- Should adult children be expected to look after their elderly parents?
- Why do some friendships last a lifetime while others fade quickly?
- Is it harder to make close friends as an adult than as a child?
Frequently asked questions
Is it fine to say "close relationship" in the test?
Yes, it's an accurate everyday collocation, though pairing it with a more specific detail shows stronger control of the topic.
What makes "hit it off" a stronger choice than "became friends quickly"?
It is a natural idiom examiners tend to credit as less common while still fitting the sentence smoothly.
Should I use idioms about family in every answer?
No, use them only where they fit naturally; forcing an idiom into an unrelated sentence can hurt Fluency and Coherence.
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